As a devoted fan of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams, I wanted to commemorate Towel Day in a special way. Towel Day, celebrated annually on May 25th, honours the life and works of Douglas Adams. To pay tribute to this remarkable author and his beloved book, I embarked on a personal project, capturing the enthusiasm and love of fellow fans through vibrant photography and video interviews. In this blog post, I’ll share the process behind this unique Towel Day project and the marvelous results.
Planning and Preparation:
Firstly, I created (rough) concept sketches and gathered reference photos for compositing. These steps helped me envision the desired shots I wanted to create with each subject, any props needed and the posing for the image compositing. With a clear vision, I moved on to the next phase.
Casting and Scheduling for Towel Day:
Secondly, to bring the project to life, I needed passionate fans who would participate in photography and video interviews. Through a casting call, I invited individuals to join the project. I carefully selected diverse fans who truly embodied their love for the book. Following casting, I moved on to scheduling and coordination. An email provided details on timing, location, and the creative brief. This process took a week.
Towel Day Project Pre-production:
With the cast finalized, it was time to prepare for the shoot. I wrote an interview script to showcase each participant’s unique perspectives and experiences with the book. Additionally, I created a checklist to maximize efficiency, capturing various poses, expressions, and settings. To enhance visual appeal, I rented a smoke machine, to create an ethereal atmosphere in the studio.
The Shoot:
Over two full days in the studio, the project came to life. For the interviews, I chose to work with the iPhone. It’s capable of recording high-quality 4K video and I liked the ease of transition from recording the interviews to changing over the lighting and set for stills (not captured on iPhone! lol). Audio was recorded separately using a wireless lav microphone and recorder. The interview videos were captured vertically, to optimize for social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. This allowed us to create engaging content for reels and stories, forming part of a week-long social media campaign for the studio.
The Results:
Unquestionably, the final collection of photos and videos truly embodied the essence of Towel Day and the spirit of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” Each participant’s enthusiasm and love for the book shone through, resulting in visually stunning and emotionally inspiring representations of fandom. Combining the long-form video with the social media content expanded our reach, sharing the joy of this celebration with a wider audience. We were really happy with the analytics and reach for this campaign, with the Reels video extending our viewership.
In conclusion, creating this personal project to honour Douglas Adams’ “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” and celebrate Towel Day has been an incredible experience. From initial sketches and casting to the magical studio days, every step was fuelled by enthusiasm and passion. The end result is a captivating collection of photos and videos that not only pay tribute to the extraordinary author but also showcase the unique personalities and perspectives of fellow fans. As a result, I hope these visuals stand as a testament to Douglas Adams’ enduring legacy and inspire others to explore the captivating world of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” for years to come.